CDC Releases Study Results on Infected Deer As Season Nears
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just issued a warning to hunters that deer with tuberculosis can transmit the bacteria to humans, and the study has roots right here in the Mitten state.
The report stems from a 2017 case right here in Michigan where a 77-year-old man, who had no prior exposure to people or countries with endemic tuberculosis, was diagnosed with the disease.
The report showed the man was a avid hunter for 20 years and had dressed deer for the majority of those years. His lab tests showed that he was exposed to mycobacterium bovis, a bacterium found in deer, cattle, bison, and elk which can be spread to humans and cause TB. Doctors reviewing the finds believe that the bacteria was inhaled during the removal of diseased portions of the deer. There have also been two other reported cases in Michigan linked to infected deer.
The CDC warning advises hunters to wear protective equipment and clothing while field-dressing deer. They also mention that the M. bovis causes a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of the total number of cases of TB disease in the United States. Michigan joins only one other state, Minnesota, where TB in wildlife populations have been reported.
Michigan's bow season starts October 1st, with firearm season starting November 15th.